How to Be Perfect (Audiobook) by Michael Schur: Being Ethical/Virtuous and Funny at the Same Time

How to Be Perfect:
The Correct Answer to
Every Moral Question

by Michael Schur (Writer, Narrator)
with: Michael Schur, Kristen Bell, D’Arcy Carden, Ted Danson, William Jackson Harper, Manny Jacinto, Marc Evan Jackson, Jameela Jamil, and Todd May

DETAILS:
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Publication Date: January 25, 2022
Format: Unabridged Audiobook
Length: 9 hrs., 13 min.
Read Date: April 11-13, 2022

What’s How to Be Perfect About?

From the Publisher’s Website:

Most people think of themselves as “good,” but it’s not always easy to determine what’s “good” or “bad”—especially in a world filled with complicated choices and pitfalls and booby traps and bad advice. Fortunately, many smart philosophers have been pondering this conundrum for millennia and they have guidance for us. With bright wit and deep insight, How to Be Perfect explains concepts like deontology, utilitarianism, existentialism, ubuntu, and more so we can sound cool at parties and become better people.

Schur starts off with easy ethical questions like “Should I punch my friend in the face for no reason?” (No.) and works his way up to the most complex moral issues we all face. Such as: Can I still enjoy great art if it was created by terrible people? How much money should I give to charity? Why bother being good at all when there are no consequences for being bad? And much more. By the time the book is done, we’ll know exactly how to act in every conceivable situation, so as to produce a verifiably maximal amount of moral good. We will be perfect, and all our friends will be jealous. OK, not quite. Instead, we’ll gain fresh, funny, inspiring wisdom on the toughest issues we face every day.

Schur did a lot of thinking, reading, and research into ethics as he was creating and writing The Good Place, this book comes out of that—it’s not quite the same as the classes that Chidi Anagonye would give, but it’s about as close are you’re going to get.

Morally Problematic Sandwiches

The most important part of becoming better people, I’ll say yet again, is that we care about whether what we do is good or bad, and therefore try to do the right thing. If we love a problematic person or thing too much to part with it altogether, I think that means we have to keep two ideas in our head at the same time: I love this thing. The person who made it is troubling.

One of the chapters I found most interesting—for a variety of reasons—is Chapter Ten, “This Sandwich Is Morally Problematic. But it’s also Delicious. Can I Still Eat It?”

For a range of issues, a lot of people struggle with things like watching Woody Allen or Kevin Spacey movies; listening to Michael Jackson; enjoying The Cosby Show; reading J. K. Rowling, Orson Scott Card, or Stacey Abrams novels; or eating Chick-fil-A or Burger King. This chapter explores how someone can enjoy these things while maintaining their ethical/political/social position.

Like almost every topic Schur addressed, I enjoyed seeing the way he approached the topic, and the kind of thinking he applied to it, more than I liked his conclusions. Although, I think I came closer to agreeing with him on this one than the rest. This is a common thread for me when it comes to non-theistic/atheistic philosophy, so I go into something like this expecting it. Interestingly, Schur’s conclusions on this idea come close to Alan Jacobs’ (Christian) conclusions in Breaking Bread with the Dead—not identical, but they strike me as pretty compatible.

The Narration

I frequently approach author-narrated works with a degree of trepidation, but I didn’t this time. Michael Schur knows what he’s doing, and I reflexively assumed that. He’s very capable of delivering this material in an interesting, almost conversational manner—as this book is a crystalization of his thoughts and the result of his research, he’s a great vehicle for this material.

And then there’s the rest of the cast…clearly, when Schur thinks “Virtue Ethics” he thinks about The Good Place and got the cast involved (along with Todd May, an actual ethicist). Would Schur on his own have been fine? Absolutely. But just having different voices helps break up what could be dry listening and add a level of variety that helps, it’s also good for distinguishing Schur’s words from a citation from any number of sources. And any time you can add Ted Danson’s voice to something, you know it’s going to improve things (I wonder if I could handle Marc Evan Jackson for an entire audiobook, or would that be too much of a good thing?).

I did have to do a mental double-take every time Manny Jacinto read, I’m not used to his normal voice.

Basically, narrator-wise, there’s nothing to complain about here.

So, what did I think about How to Be Perfect?

This is one of those books that invites you to stop and think about it. I don’t have the time or energy to do this, but what I really wanted to do when I finished this was to buy a hard copy of the book and sit down to work through it a few times to really engage with the ideas. I know myself well enough to realize I wouldn’t do it—or wouldn’t do it well enough to satisfy myself. But that was my initial reaction.

It’s a good book—it’s problematic in some of/many of its conclusions, sure, but it’s still a good book. Because of the nature of the show that this is based on, Schur produced something that assumes God does not exist. He doesn’t come out and deny or question it*, he simply writes as if that’s not something to be considered. So I’m obviously not going to be able to agree with everything he says, and will ultimately find fatal flaws to some of his conclusions—but that’s me. You’ll have your own set of issues, I’m sure. But when it comes to recent(ish) pop-philosophy books, this is better than many.

* Later in the book, there’s at least one shot at the notion of a reliable set of scriptures, or those who would pay attention to them, at any rate. But As far as attacks on religion go, it’s pretty mild.

I truly appreciated and enjoyed the way that Schur was able to explain the concepts he was wrestling with and the way he used humor throughout. Using himself as an example of ethical reasoning—especially as a negative example—made it all much more relatable, too. He never comes across as “you should live like this” but as “here’s what I’ve learned, here’s where I struggle, walk alongside me.”

Would I listen to this again? Yeah, absolutely. Would I go through the hard copy of the book? Sure (especially if I could find a way to take the time to do it right). Would I suggest you get the book in the medium of your choice? Absolutely. Entertaining, educational, funny, and thought-provoking. I’m not sure what else you could ask for.

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