Book review: The Antidote by Oliver Burkeman

I was stuck in a rut after the death of my father, so I tried all kinds of methods to get out of it. Some self-help things to get out of a depression, including reading this book, The antidote, written by Oliver Burkeman.

This book is an anti-selfhelpbook. The self-help industry is a billion dollar industry of false-claims and general feel-good mumbo jumbo. This book is different, and a relief to read. This book, tries to help you to become a happier, more informed citizen. The author of the book has tried every method he professes in his book, and it really is a fun read, to see what conclussions he took from every method he tried.

He comes away from the whole experience with a whole other outlook on life.  He’s a journalist for The guardian and went out to look for “happiness for people who can’t stand positive thinking”, as is written on the cover of his book.

The tone of the book is funny at times, heavier at other times, but it is a light-hearted read. I read the book in 3 to 4 days and recommended it to other people as soon as I finished it.

In the book he seeks out methods to become happier. He looks at psychology, esoteric methods and eventually stumbles upon philosophy. I have taken a lot of notes from this book, because he has some very good remarks upon certain subjects. In chapter one he remarks that “Perhaps you don’t need telling that self-help books, the modern -day apotheosis of the quest for happiness, are among the things that fail to make us happy.”

A reader looking for advice to become happier in times when it is difficult, might like this book. Another book that this reader might find helpful, and one I’m also reading at the moment is “Happy” by Derren Brown.

If you want to buy the book. You can click my affiliate link here.

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