“Life Is Hard is a humane consolation for challenging times. Reading it is
like speaking with a thoughtful friend who never tells you to cheer up,
but, by offering gentle companionship and a change of perspective, makes
you feel better anyway.” —The New York Times Book Review There is no cure
for the human condition: life is hard. But Kieran Setiya believes
philosophy can help. He offers us a map for navigating rough terrain, from
personal trauma to the injustice and absurdity of the world. In this
profound and personal book, Setiya shows how the tools of philosophy can
help us find our way. Drawing on ancient and modern philosophy as well as
fiction, history, memoir, film, comedy, social science, and stories from
Setiya’s own experience, Life Is Hard is a book for this moment—a work of
solace and compassion. Warm, accessible, and good-humored, this book is
about making the best of a bad lot. It offers guidance for coping with pain
and making new friends, for grieving the lost and failing with grace, for
confronting injustice and searching for meaning in life. Countering pop
psychologists and online influencers who admonish us to “find our bliss”
and “live our best lives,” Setiya acknowledges that the best is often out
of reach. Instead, he asks how we can weather life’s adversities, finding
hope and living well when life is hard.
Author: Kieran Setiya
Publisher: Penguin
Publication Date: 2022
