The Consolations of Philosophy

Alain de Botton, 2000

Feeling unpopular, short of money, frustrated, inadequate, heartbroken or struggling? Six philosophers, from Socrates to Nietzsche, offer practical comfort for life's most common sorrows.

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6 parts, about 19 minutes to read.

Why read it

Pairs six everyday griefs, from unpopularity to heartbreak, with the practical consolations of six philosophers
Gives you usable habits: testing common sense for exceptions, preparing for setbacks, and treating hardship as ground for growth
Written in a personal voice that mixes the thinkers' lives with the author's own doubts and travels

Who it is for

Readers stung by criticism or rejection
People anxious about money, status or failing
Newcomers who want philosophy applied to daily life

What the summary covers

Consolation for Unpopularity4 min
Consolation for Not Having Enough Money3 min
Consolation for Frustration3 min
Consolation for Inadequacy3 min
Consolation for a Broken Heart3 min
Consolation for Difficulties3 min

Recommended by

John BanvilleIrish novelist and Booker Prize winner
A pleasure to read. And good writing, like good philosophy, is always a consolation

About the author

Alain de BottonBritish author and cofounder of The School of Life
- Born in Zurich, Switzerland
- Read history at Cambridge (Gonville and Caius College), graduating with a double starred first
- MPhil in philosophy at King's College London (1991 to 92), then PhD studies in French philosophy at Harvard
- Published Essays in Love in 1993, which sold two million copies
- Published How Proust Can Change Your Life in 1997, his first non fiction book
- Cofounded The School of Life in 2008
- At publication, Associate Research Fellow of the Philosophy Programme of the University of London, School of Advanced Study