The subtle art of not giving a f**k by Mark Manson is a reaction to the self-help industry and what Manson saw as a culture of mindless positivity that is not practical or helpful for most people. Manson uses many of his own personal experiences to illustrate how life’s struggles often give it more meaning, which, he argues, is a better approach than constantly trying to be happy. Manson’s approach and writing style have been categorized by some as contrarian to the general self-help industry, using blunt honesty and profanity to illustrate his ideas. The book has nine chapters. The first chapter, Don’t Try, is named after the philosophy of Charles Bukowski, who served as a major inspiration for the whole book.
The Subtle Art of not Giving a Fuck Summary
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 American 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**k is a refreshing slap for a generation to help them lead contented, grounded lives.
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Watch video review of The subtle art of not a giving a f**k below
The Subtle Art of not Giving a Fuck Author – Mark Manson
Mark Manson is the #1 New York Times Bestselling author of Everything is F*cked: A Book About Hope and The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life, the mega-bestseller that reached #1 in fourteen different countries. Mark’s books have been translated into more than 50 languages and have sold over 12 million copies worldwide. Mark runs one of the largest personal growth websites in the world, MarkManson.net, a blog with more than two million monthly readers and half a million subscribers. His writing is often described as ‘self-help for people who hate self-help’ — a no-BS brand of life advice and cultural commentary that has struck a chord with people around the globe. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, TIME Magazine, Forbes, Vice, CNN, and Vox, among many others. He currently lives in New York City.
Information about the book The Subtle Art of not Giving a Fuck (Amazon)
- ASIN : B019MMUA8S
- Publisher : Harper (September 13, 2016)
- Publication date : September 13, 2016
- Language : English
- File size : 2093 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Print length : 212 pages
- Lending : Not Enabled
- Best Sellers Rank: #1,732 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #2 in Animal Coloring Books for Grown-Ups
- #3 in Humorous Coloring Books for Grown-Ups
- #3 in Religious & Inspirational Coloring Books for Grown-Ups
- Customer Reviews: 4.6 out of 5 stars 66,987 ratings
Number of chapters and Chapter titles in the book The Subtle Art of not Giving a Fuck
The book has nine chapters. The first chapter, Don’t Try, is named after the philosophy of Charles Bukowski, who served as a major inspiration for the whole book.
The chapters have the following titles:
- 1. Don’t Try.
- 2. Happiness is a problem.
- 3. You are not special.
- 4. The value of suffering.
- 5. You are always choosing.
- 6. You are wrong about everything (But so am I).
- 7. Failure is the way forward.
- 8. The importance of saying no.
- 9. And then you die.
Subtle Art of not Giving a Fuck Reviews by Mark Manson
Editorial reviews and praise for the book
An in-your-face guide to living with integrity and finding happiness in sometimes painful places…This book, full of counterintuitive suggestions that often make great sense, is a pleasure to read and worthy of rereading. A good yardstick by which self-improvement books should be measured.– “Kirkus Reviews”
Mark’s ability to dig deep and offer amazing, yet counter-intuitive, insight into the challenges of life makes him one of my favorite writers, and this book is his best work yet.– “Matt Kepnes, New York Times bestselling author”
“Resilience, happiness and freedom come from knowing what to care about–and most importantly, what not to care about. This is a masterful, philosophical and practical book that will give readers the wisdom to be able to do just that.” — Ryan Holiday, New York Times bestselling author of The Obstacle is the Way and Ego is the Enemy
“Mark’s ability to dig deep and offer amazing, yet counter-intuitive, insight into the challenges of life makes him one of my favorite writers, and this book is his best work yet.” — Matt Kepnes, New York Times bestselling author of Travel the World on $50 a Day: Travel Cheaper, Longer, Smarter
“This book hits you like a much-needed slap in the face from your best friend: hilarious, vulgar, and immensely thought-provoking. Only read if you’re willing to set aside all excuses and take an active role in living a f***ing better life.” — Steve Kamb, bestselling author of Level Up Your Life and founder of NerdFitness.com
“The opposite of every other book. Don’t try. Give up. Be wrong. Lower your standards. Stop believing in yourself. Follow the pain. Each point is profoundly true, useful, and more powerful than the usual positivity. Succinct but surprisingly deep, I read it in one night.” — Derek Sivers, Founder of CD Baby and author of Anything You Want: 40 Lessons for a New Kind of Entrepreneur
Actor and voice-over pro Roger Wayne captures most of Manson’s oppositional energy, and he narrates with a lively engagement that only occasionally sounds overdone. Wayne’s likability helps to moderate the writer’s often bombastic writing. — “AudioFile”
I had to get past my disdain for potty-mouth-as-marketing-tool to open The Subtle Art…and I’m glad I did…Manson devotes a lot of time to explaining what a jerk he was while growing up, and how his screw-ups ultimately compelled him to be a better person—which made him a happier person. Happier, not deliriously happy. The Subtle Art is not so much about finding happiness as about finding adulthood—which is not so terrible, when you think about it. – The New York Times Book Review – Judith Newman
The opposite of every other book. Don’t try. Give up. Be wrong. Lower your standards. Stop believing in yourself. Follow the pain. Each point is profoundly true, useful, and more powerful than the usual positivity. Succinct but surprisingly deep, I read it in one night.- Derek Sivers
Customer reviews on barnesandnoble for the subtle art of not giving a f**k
nitti009
Minneapolis, MN
4 out of 5 stars.a year ago
Relatable And Funny Personal Growth Book
I can definitely see myself re-reading this one. I think I have struggled with personal growth & development books in the past because they come across as way too clean. I like that the writing felt personal and very honest, and the author wasn’t afraid to curse if the topic of discussion warranted it. I shouldn’t be surprised by that, given the title, but I think I was just surprised to see it carry through to the extent it was. I find myself having a much easier time with non-fiction in general if I feel like the author is relatable for me, and the frequent cursing, as well as similar mindset and approach to life, made me enjoy it much more than expected. I think this will end up being a book that I reread multiple times!
Backstreet Boy
Washington, DC
4 out of 5 stars
2 years ago
Good Not Great
An entertaining read but one that I could put down, a lot of what Mark writes about I found to be pretty common sense but the way he wrote about it was fun and uplifting. A good read if you want to chuckle.
Jordstaa
Vermont5 out of 5 stars.2 years ago
Blunt & Eye Opening
I bought this book to help uplift me during this time of quarantine, and I was not disappointed! This book does wonders and opens your eyes to the reality of life. You will hear hard truths you don’t want to believe but it will help you live a stronger life.
ThePolyBlog
2 out of 5 stars
2 years ago
BOTTOM-LINE: Not Worth Reading But At Least I Got A Reading Badge …
BOTTOM-LINE:
Not worth reading but at least I got a reading badge for it
PLOT OR PREMISE:
This is a self-help guide to reducing your stress levels by choosing to care only about those things that are important to you.
WHAT I LIKED:
I found this a very odd book to read. In almost every chapter, I found myself disagreeing with his evidence and examples, often thinking they proved the opposite of what he was trying to use them to prove, yet at the same time agreeing with some of the premises. It felt more like he had some solid ideas throughout, just not very well developed. Like, for instance, that we have limited bandwidth to care about things and therefore we should not care about a lot of unimportant stuff (hence the title), finding problems you like to solve (i.e. what you love), prioritizing better values for ourselves in line with what we love, and certainty being an enemy of growth (so you should risk failure more).
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE:
Most of his examples are Millenial-style rants, not actual evidence to support his arguments, and it is a lot of work to come to the conclusion “don’t sweat the small stuff and it is all small stuff”, but with swearing.
DISCLOSURE:
I received no compensation, not even a free copy, in exchange for this review. I am not personal friends with the author, nor do I follow him on social media.
DAVID CONTE
4 out of 5 stars
2 years ago
Very Relatable
A very easy read with good observations. I’m always a little weary of reading books like this one, because why the hell should we be taking advice from self-help books and bloggers that are a bigger mess than we are? But, it’s done in such a way that is innocent and not drowning in self righteousness. It also doesn’t hurt that there is legitimately good stories provided to drive points home from famous historical figures and his own personal stories that I feel everyone can relate to.
Customer reviews on Amazon for The subtle art of not giving a f**k
vvwwvv
3.0 out of 5 stars Written by a millenial, for millenials.
Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2018
Verified Purchase
A great read. A very entertaining romp through philosophical thought by a skilled wordsmith, but I would say the age cut-off for this book is 50. Beyond 50, you’ve probably already learned most of the lessons in this book the hard way, however, I can see where it can be extremely helpful for a generation that spends most of its waking hours posting narcissistic selfies on their iphones. Manson gives you the blueprints to get your head out of your ass, (or out of your phone) take a hard look at yourself and the real world around you, and shed many of the illusions you’ve been slowly poisoning your life with. If you’re a millennial, or even a disenchanted X-gen, pick up this book. It will give you at least a more healthy point of view. But, if you’re over 50, you’re not going to find anything new in here except entertainment.
Stephanie
5.0 out of 5 stars Unexpectedly Life-Changing- One of the Best Books I’ve Read.
Reviewed in the United States on May 5, 2018
Verified Purchase
What I like the most about this book is that my initial thought of; “This will be a good read- I’ll probably get a provoking thought or two out of it”, turned into, “Wow. This book has literally changed my life, for the better.” Since I’ve finished it, I recommended it to four people, two of which have acquired the book, and I even got an extra copy as a gift for a friend. I intend to read this book every couple years or so for the times I need to be reminded of what improved my life so much in the first place. This is an easy read- yet written on a sophisticated level (despite the title), and I looked forward to every bit of free time I could dedicate to reading it. There were times I laughed, got teary eyed, and most importantly said, “hmmm, I never thought of it like that before…” I recommend this book to anyone who is open to changing their mindset, and can understand irony. Obviously the title is not instructing the reader to stop taking care in interest in EVERYTHING, so if that thought never crossed your mind upon reading the title, then I suggest you read this.
Yij
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing advice that positively changes your outlook on life! Highly recommended!!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 17, 2019
Verified Purchase
What’s that? A book changed my life? Nonsense!! Well, actually that’s true, it DID change my life. Here’s a very long review which I feel needs to be addressed, as many people don’t know what the book is about, give it a 1-star rating and shrug it off as a money-grab scheme using foul language as a means to bait audiences. Which I honestly first thought it was. I have to admit, I wasn’t convinced (ignorant, you could say) of all these self-help books people lavish over, I honestly thought it was a load of hippy crap as a means to make a quick buck… Although after a bout of depression last year (yea the “D” word get’s thrown around alot these days), I myself was seeking out therapy. I was recommended this author and discovered this book. After asking myself “If this doesn’t work, I’ll just try something else” I figured I had nothing to lose. And WOW. This book really changed my perspective on things and ultimately I feel much better and improved! Not 100%, but I’m getting there slowly. As you could tell from the title, the author isn’t shy of using profanity, and I like this. I’ve read other self-help books and while they’re good and all, Mark Manson really engages you on a personal level. Imagine going to the doctor, and he’s been all professional… but a tad boring and nearly sends you to sleep. Now imagine the same doctor taking you to the bar, having a pint and a laugh, but telling you the same advice. Who would you connect with better? Yea, I thought so.
Controversial title aside, the book isn’t about just not giving a damn, but about focusing WHAT to not give a damn about. Stop getting stressed about by what the media (and others) want us to be, not getting worked up by social media, stuff like that. Instead, focus the damns on the important stuff: family, friends, your well being.
The book does take a while to pick up, with the early chapters focusing on examples of people who you may or may not relate to, or even care about. It can start to drag on, but eventually, Mr. Manson really dives into the meat of the book, and asks yourself to challenge your beliefs. Knowing that you’re not always right all the time. Not denying your own flaws by redirecting the blame onto other people when challenged (many people are guilty of this). Acknowledging you’re not perfect and rolling with it. Realising your emotions and problems aren’t exclusive: nearly everyone in the world will have experienced what you felt at some point in their lives. Real stuff that actually helps you come to terms with yourself and not inflating your ego, or doing some tantric yoga exercises to unlock your inner chi circles. Real stuff. I consider this book my bible: I read certain parts every now and then to maintain my self improvement, it gives me solace during times where I’m feeling down, and I harrass my Instagram followers by posting snippets of the pages. I’ve even brought several copies for friends who were going through a rough time.
TLDR: this book helped me out, connects with you on an unconventional level, and ultimately offers brilliant advice that helps improve yourself and hopefully others around you. Highly recommended!
PS. It’s a MASSIVE shame that certain individuals refuse to fully read the book due to liberal use of the F word. I’d say that’s the whole point: letting go of your “I’m entitled so I’m offended” beliefs and challenging yourself to overcome this personal stigma to improve your outlook on life.
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars MUST READ !!
Reviewed in India on July 3, 2018
Verified Purchase
This book is a game changer. It makes you think in a way you never have.. Must read for people who think they are depressed, ‘something is wrong with me’,, ‘why me’ type of questions.. Trust me there is nothing wrong with you.. an eye opener for me truly. Just order it already !!!
Diya
3.0 out of 5 stars Didn’t like it much
Reviewed in India on October 25, 2018
Verified Purchase
Overrated. Didn’t like it much. There were times I felt the author is contradicting himself. In the first few pages he tries hard to convey the message that you are plain average but towards the end of the book he conveys the opposite – that you are special 🙂 It is different from other self-help books in the way that it doesn’t glorify you as someone who is unique and one of a kind. He says that feeling entitled is the reason why people care about unimportant things the way they do. So don’t get confused by the title (like I did), the entire book is more about how to not take yourself so seriously.
P.S: If you are looking to feel good, this might not be your cup of tea
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