The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life

By: Mark Manson

Narrated by: Roger Wayne

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*ck positivity," Mark Manson says. "Let's be honest, shit is f*cked, 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*ck is his antidote to the coddling, let's-all-feel-good mind-set that has infected modern society and spoiled a generation, rewarding them with gold medals just for showing up.

Manson makes the argument, backed by both 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*ck 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*ck is a refreshing slap for a generation to help them lead contented, grounded lives.

©2016 Mark Manson (P)2016 HarperCollins Publishers

Exactly what I needed

An entertaining book with substance and wonderful insight. The topics are thought provoking and serious but discussed with realistic situations, some humor, and honesty. I highly recommend!

Do yourself a favor

No really. Do yourself a favor and get this audiobook. This is the first review I have ever written on anything and I'm 30. I don't even fill out comment cards at restaurants good or bad, but I genuinely enjoyed listening to every minute of this and I feel that it has something great to offer.

Interesting, but lacking

Some interesting thoughts, but lacking depth.

Don't see what all the great reviews are about. Not something I'll listen to again. Not a total waste of time, but close to it.

***** August 2020

Looking for something to listen to, so re-listened to this.

Must be my mind was in a totally different mindset than previously, because I really loved this book!!!

Glad I re-listened to this book, and probably will listen again.
Well worth the credit.

Perspective-shifter!

This is an amazing book for those who are ready to listen to cold, hard truths that have the capacity to shift your perspective. Read this if you're ready to elevate! 🌻

The Most Important Self-Help Book Available

While the book stumbles a bit in it's opening chapter trying to justify it's attention-grabbing title, the rest of the book is, without hyperbole, life changing.

This is the most even handed book I've ever read. It reminds us that we're mediocre, fallible, not unique, and born to suffer pains and humiliations our entire life. That that is not a glitch, but a feature in human existence. It would have been easy to have been abusive, but it's measured with humor and kindness and a shocking amount of gentleness.

It is a book about being told harsh truths. That you are not uniquely talented. That the things you believe are the product of an imperfect mind imperfectly interpreting events. That society has made you entitled and your entitlement is making you depressed. And, most painfully of all, that you can fix it.

You will die, says the book in it's last chapter. So what are you afraid of?

A most worthy journey indeed!

The title of this book is quite brilliant even though it can feel deceiving to the question… What is it really about?

I appreciate Mark sharing his deep insights and cut to the chase rationale in confronting truth with the opportunities and challenges of life.

I was very impressed with the way Roger Wayne read this book as well. He did a fantastic job and made it very entertaining.

Nice work gentlemen! I recommended this to many people.

Much love – RVE

must read

with a straight fwd language and approach , easy to read and sometimes funny, this book touches the most important aspects one should give a f* about when looking for enlightment .

Simply stated: I give a F*ck about this book!

Which character – as performed by Roger Wayne – was your favorite?

The Aussie @ the end.

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed listening to this book and the concept of the Feedback Loop was spot on!

Get a kick in the butt with this one

Where does The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Very high. I usually listen to books I've already read and that have more of a storyline to it. But this one is really well done!

What did you like best about this story?

The author's word choice might seem unorthodox to some, but he is telling the truth uncensored and as ugly as it is. I love the concept of his message and it opened my eyes to some things I didn't realize before.

Have you listened to any of Roger Wayne’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This is the first time I've listened to his work and I really liked it!
His voice carries the perfect amount of sarcasm for this book.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book was an eye-opener. The counterintuitive approach to being happy is really interesting and some things were so obvious that I felt quite stupid because I hadn't noticed them before. I really appreciated this book!

Any additional comments?

Highly recommend!!

Brilliant. The title is misleading.

This book is fantastic and much deeper than one would assume based on the title.