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The Antidote

Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking

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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

What if ‘positive thinking’ and relentless optimism aren’t the solution to the happiness dilemma, but part of the problem?

Oliver Burkeman turns decades of self-help advice on its head and paradoxically forces us to rethink our attitudes towards failure, uncertainty and death. It’s our constant efforts to avoid negative thinking that cause us to feel anxious, insecure and unhappy. What if happiness can be found embracing the things we spend our lives trying to escape? Wise, practical and funny, The Antidote is a thought-provoking, counter-intuitive and ultimately uplifting read, celebrating the power of negative thinking.

©2019 Oliver Burkeman (P)2019 Penguin Audio Career Success Motivation & Self-Improvement Personal Development Personal Success Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Funny Inspiring Feel-Good

Critic reviews

"Burkeman has written some of the most truthful and useful words on happiness to be published in recent years." (Guardian)

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Big fan of this book; it takes some more common approaches to happiness and breaks them down in digestible modern ways of thinking. It’s the right balance between thought provoking yet not too dense that it needs your full attention.

An interesting read!

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Unlike so many books that lay claim to helping reframe the conundrum of how to live a more meaningful existence, this book actually manages to nail it. Very well researched, written and read and highly practical. Worth the time & money.

Engaging, original & highly enjoyable

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Bought the book twice and now listened to the book. Might listen to it again.

Excellent

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An extremely well researched and thought provoking alternative to so much of the 'goal setting', 'life affirming' self help. Fantastic for anyone but especially for the overthinker who hasn't found any convincing answers in other their quest for happiness.

Fascinating

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"The Antidote" is an excellent reflection on embracing failure, uncertainty and death and living well in spite of - or, as Burkeman argues, because of - these undeniable realities of human existence. The book is both deep and moving as well as hilarious and self-deprecating. Burkeman writes beautifully and smoothly and I often stopped whatever I was doing mid-action as I listened, the text so engaging and profound.
I am a very nit-picky and critical listener of audiobooks and few narrators are up to my standards, but Burkeman reads his book flawlessly and listening to him was a joy.
Having read "Four Thousand Weeks" in January, this is only my second book by the author. I was doubtful whether I would enjoy "The Antidote" as much as "Four Thousand Weeks," but the book exceeded my expectations. I am very much looking forward to reading more by Oliver Burkeman.

Fascinating and beautifully written.

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