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A Therapeutic Journey

Lessons from the School of Life

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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

The essential guide to mental health from the bestselling author of The School of Life

This is a book about getting unwell. About losing direction and hope. About imagining that we have let ourselves and everyone down.

But it is also a book about getting better. About regaining the thread, rediscovering meaning and finding a way back to connection and joy.

Here, Alain de Botton follows the arc of a mental health journey, from crisis to recuperation; the moments we realize we cannot cope; the acts of selfcare or therapy in which we find respite; and the days we finally reclaim a sense of stability. Written with understanding and kindness, it is both a source of companionship in our loneliest moments - whether it's a relationship breakdown, a career setback or anxiety around the everyday - and a practical guide that will help us find reasons for hope.

We are all on our own journey towards recovery. This book is for anyone ready to understand theirs.

©2023 Alain de Botton (P)2023 Penguin Audio Consciousness & Thought Personal Development Personal Success Philosophy Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Self-Esteem Health Thought-Provoking Mental Health

Critic reviews

'Alain de Botton is a brave and highly intelligent writer' Observer

'One of our most consistently illuminating writers on contemporary culture' John Gray, New Statesman
All stars
Most relevant
The book? A masterpiece. The narration? An absolute catastrophe. Alain de Botton’s words deserve to be delivered with grace and insight, yet we’re subjected to a voice so devoid of charm it feels almost criminal. The real tragedy? De Botton himself has a voice like a fine vintage—rich, warm, and infinitely engaging. Why, oh why, is he not the one reading?

As if that weren’t enough, the production is a shambles. Chapter 8 doesn’t so much transition as it does crash headfirst into the next section. Sloppy, careless, and frankly unforgivable. A truly great book let down by sheer incompetence. What a travesty!

Brilliant book but the narration? Where do I start?

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Even if you’re not suffering, or recovering, highly recommended as a guide to modern trevails

Wonderfully healing

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Everything about this book needs to be memorialised. This book helped me immensely to practice more self compassion and self understanding.

Incredible journey into surviving mental illness

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This book is like a talk with a good friend, who has your interest at heart.

A friend in a book.

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I read and listened to many therapeutic books, but this is by far the best. If you want to improve your mental and physical health, increase self-awareness, and heal from trauma and negative habits, this is the book you should read/listen to. Many relatable stories and comparisons with people who lived long before us, yet they have shared the same pain; we tend to distract ourselves with more modern methods.

Best self-awareness and healing guide!

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