This book was quite good, but sort of missed my expectations. While there is a bit about hope in here, it felt like the majority of the book was about our feeling brain vs. our thinking brain. Still a very interesting topic, but not exactly what I was expecting to read. ( )

Mark Manson is a popular author who writes eye-catching titles. The title of this book certainly appealed to me, although I generally avoid self-help books. In Everything is F*cked: A Book About Hope, Manson attempts to explain our modern dilemma through the use of hard science, history, moral philosophy, and his humor. His basic argument is that Everything is F*cked because we our essentially guided by our emotions, and our emotions never allow us to be 100 percent pleased in life. And while technological progress has been a good thing (or possesses the potential to help society become better), it has grown (more or less) to accommodate our emotions and our biases (think of how easy it is to find others on the Internet who believe the same crazy theory that you believe in). Mark's solutions include: trying to live in the present moment in a state of detachment, acknowledging pain is useful, realizing that is okay to not be satisfied, and hoping for an AI revolution that will become a new religion. I found the latter to be quite alarming - especially in light of his other solutions, because this renders them moot.

If it wasn't for Manson's hope in transhumanism, I would have rated this book a bit higher. He certainly makes some interesting points (or borrows some interesting points I should say). But I cannot agree with his view that transhumanism will make our world better. As a Christian, I found his secular arguments to be in-line with a lot of Orthodox theology. Orthodox theologians would certainly agree with Manson that our society lacks moral character. They would agree that technology has been highjacked by our emotions. They would agree that pain is helpful and agree that living in the present (while hoping for a better future) is important. But of course, for Orthodox Theologians and a Christian such as myself, our hope in the transformation of such a messed up world, is in Christ. And it is by living his commandments, repenting of our sins, that we can transform the world.

Manson's writing can be well-researched but it can also, unfortunately, can come across as an immature attempt to sell ideas to his audience. I found most of his humor to be crass rather than witty or enjoyable. If crass humor is your thing, this book might work a bit better for you.

In the end, I'm not sure Manson's book is a call to arms to a better life but he does provide some interesting points about the nature of happiness. I learned a few things by reading this but I don't 100% agree with his wishful solution of an AI revolution as the solution to all our problems because I think this will actually take away our capacity to be fully human. ( )

I found this book was in general a disappointment. It did not feel cohesive and I found it was a philosophical and pessimistic read lacking in terms of guidance. There were however some key quotes that did resonate with me, including:
- "Don't hope for better. Just be better"
- "To build and maintain hope, we need three things: a sense of control, a belief in the value of - something, and a community."
- "The opposite of happiness is hopelessness"
- "Hopelessness is the root of anxiety, mental illness, and depression." ( )

The superstar blogger and author of the smash New York Times bestseller The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck now does for love what he did for happiness in this raw and candid guide to relationships.

We live in a love-crazed culture where amour is celebrated and idealized as life’s ultimate goal. Not so, contends Mark Manson. In the no-nonsense voice his fans love, he argues that love is not all we need to have a successful relationship, and offers us the tools to hone the values and skills necessary for not screwing things up with the most important people in our lives.

Hard-hitting, funny, and bluntly honest, F*ck Yes or No takes readers for a ride of hard punches and unpleasant truths. "Just because you love somebody, doesn’t mean they’re good for you." "Love may make you feel better about your relationship problems, but it won’t solve your relationship problems." "Sometimes the best way to love someone is to let them go."

From dating and popping the question, to breaking up and getting over your ex, to creating a long-lasting and happy marriage, Manson provides the raw advice that forces us to be honest with ourselves and accept reality as it is, not as we’d like it to be. ( )

This wasn't a simple book to rate, because there were things I liked and things I really didn't. Somethings resonated, somethings were unnecessary. And this definitely didn't live up to Manson's first book. But in the end, I still liked it. (Although that ending... Not sure if I thought it funny or just wildly out of left field.) ( )