The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life

By: Mark Manson

Narrated by: Roger Wayne

#1 New York Times Bestseller • More than 10 million Copies Sold

In this generation-defining self-help guide, a superstar blogger cuts through the crap to show us how to stop trying to be ""positive"" all the time so that we can truly become better, happier people.

For decades, we’ve been told that positive thinking is the key to a happy, rich life. ""F**k positivity,"" Mark Manson says. ""Let’s be honest, shit is f**ked and we have to live with it."" In his wildly popular Internet blog, Manson doesn’t sugarcoat or equivocate. He tells it like it is—a dose of raw, refreshing, honest truth that is sorely lacking today. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is his antidote to the coddling, let’s-all-feel-good mindset that has infected modern society and spoiled a generation, rewarding them with gold medals just for showing up.

Manson makes the argument, backed both by academic research and well-timed poop jokes, that improving our lives hinges not on our ability to turn lemons into lemonade, but on learning to stomach lemons better. Human beings are flawed and limited—""not everybody can be extraordinary, there are winners and losers in society, and some of it is not fair or your fault."" Manson advises us to get to know our limitations and accept them. Once we embrace our fears, faults, and uncertainties, once we stop running and avoiding and start confronting painful truths, we can begin to find the courage, perseverance, honesty, responsibility, curiosity, and forgiveness we seek.

There are only so many things we can give a f**k about so we need to figure out which ones really matter, Manson makes clear. While money is nice, caring about what you do with your life is better, because true wealth is about experience. A much-needed grab-you-by-the-shoulders-and-look-you-in-the-eye moment of real-talk, filled with entertaining stories and profane, ruthless humor, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck is a refreshing slap for a generation to help them lead contented, grounded lives.

Entertaining with Great Insights

If you could sum up The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck in three words, what would they be?

No F-cks Given

Who was your favorite character and why?

Who was my favorite character?.... What a stupid question.

Which scene was your favorite?

Stop asking me stupid questions.

What’s an idea from the book that you will remember?

There are many "Core Values" that self help books help you find. Mark explains what his current Core Values are, which at first glance are quite unusual, then he explains them in a way that makes sense. I've listed out my core values before, but I now have to rethink them and possibly change them to better suit me after listening to this book.

Any additional comments?

The tone of the audio book, which was not recorded by him but I think the narrator did an excellent job, was very in line with the title of the book. I've read a lot of self help books and a lot of them overlap. When I first downloaded this one, I was hesitant to start it because I hate how all of them always start out by trying to capture the "I've been where you are before" stereotypes. From the get-go, the book is very entertaining. It packs in humor into an otherwise depressing subject. A lot of authors go for empathy when addressing serious problems such as "Worrying too Much." Mark jumps right into humor and sarcasm. It was packed full of useful information for somebody like me who worries too much about what others think. At the same time, he kept it entertaining so that I plan on listening to it again just for the humor and to let the information sink in again.

Neo-Stoicism

Many people cannot look their dark side directly in the face. So, let them continue to suffer. There are Stoics who sound less dark in their presentatko. Still the concepts are in essence the same. Look into Seneca, Marcus Aurelius, and Epictetus for further examples of Stoicism

A lot to ponder and yet a breeze to hear

I’ve listened now almost a fistful. Not through and through, but parts that I need to digest and take heed for myself. I found the narrator easy to listen to and the dialogue light. The author never comes off as full of himself, but lights the way for others to give pause to their desires and actions. There is no easy pill offered here and that’s the way I like it, because otherwise he’d be making it up like most others.

Simply Brilliant!

Such a simple idea, yet so many of us over look it. Wonderfully written and put together

better than expected

I learned a lot from this book. much more than expected. good for developing and choosing healthy values.