Alain de Botton sa venuje sprístupňovaniu filozofie pre každodenný život prostredníctvom svojich esejistických kníh. Vo svojej tvorbe prepája vlastné skúsenosti a myšlienky s podnetmi od umelcov, filozofov a mysliteľov. Jeho jedinečný štýl, označovaný ako „filozofia každodenného života“, inovatívne kombinuje naratívne prvky s hlbokými analýzami. De Botton sa snaží ukázať, ako filozofické koncepty môžu obohatiť a osvetliť bežné ľudské skúsenosti, od medziľudských vzťahov po hľadanie zmyslu v práci či umení.
Alain de Botton's The Consolations of Philosophy takes the discipline of logic and the mind back to its roots. Drawing inspiration from six of the finest minds in history - Socrates, Epicurus, Seneca, Montaigne, Schopenhauer and Nietzsche - he addresses lack of money, the pain of love, inadequacy, anxiety and conformity. De Botton's book led one critic to call philosophy 'the new rock and roll'.
Two authorities on popular culture reveal the ways in which art can enhance mood and enrich lives - now available in paperback This passionate, thought-provoking, often funny, and always-accessible book proposes a new way of looking at art, suggesting that it can be useful, relevant, and therapeutic. Through practical examples, the world-renowned authors argue that certain great works of art have clues as to how to manage the tensions and confusions of modern life. Chapters on love, nature, money, and politics show how art can help with many common difficulties, from forging good relationships to coming to terms with mortality.
V roce 2006 se na anglosaském knižním trhu nečekaně rozhořela válka o náboženství: známý evoluční biolog Richard Dawkins ve svém bestselleru Boží blud napadl jménem vědy a racionality víru v jakoukoli vyšší moc a strhl lavinu publikací, v nichž si vědečtí racionalisté ostře vyměňovali názory s obránci náboženství a jeho společenské role. V České republice, kde role víry, zvlášť organizované, zůstává slabá, mohla Dawkinsova kniha sotva vzbudit podobný rozruch; Alain de Botton nahlíží problém z odlišné, pro ateistu provokativnější pozice a ptá se, co může náboženství přinést těm, kdo odmítají přijmout jeho doktrínu. V deseti kapitolách se autor zabývá architekturou, uměním i mezilidskými vztahy a dokládá, že nedogmaticky vnímaná náboženská tradice nám může i v sekulární společnosti pomoci k plnějšímu a lidštějšímu životu.
In a novel that explores the realities of "being in love," two young people meet on a plane to Paris and embark on a love affair based on what they perceive as destiny. A first novel. Reader's Guide included. Reprint.
Bestselling author Alain de Botton has written about love, travel, status and how philosophy can console us. Now he turns his attention to one of our most intense but often hidden love affairs: with our houses and their furnishings. He asks: What makes a house truly beautiful?Why are many new houses so ugly?Why do we argue so bitterly about sofas and pictures � and can differences of taste ever be satisfactorily resolved?Will minimalism make us happier than ornaments? To answer these questions and many more, de Botton looks at buildings across the world, from medieval wooden huts to modern skyscrapers; he examines sofas and cathedrals, tea sets and office complexes, and teases out a host of often surprising philosophical insights. The Architecture of Happiness will take you on a beguiling tour through the history and psychology of architecture and interior design, and will forever alter your relationship with buildings. It will change the way you look at your current home � and help you make the right decisions about your next one.
THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER 'Honest, funny and dripping with witty aphorisms. Extremely entertaining and enlightening [...] all the way to journey's end' Herald One of our greatest voices in modern philosophy, author of The Course of Love, The Consolations of Philosophy, Religion for Atheists and The School of Life, presents a travel guide with a difference - an exploration of why we travel, and what we learn along the way... Few activities seem to promise as much happiness as going travelling: taking off for somewhere else, somewhere far from home, a place with more interesting weather, customs and landscapes. But although we are inundated with advice on where to travel to, we seldom ask why we go and how we might become more fulfilled by doing so. With the help of a selection of writers, artists and thinkers - including Flaubert, Edward Hopper, Wordsworth and Van Gogh - Alain de Botton provides invaluable insights into everything from holiday romance to hotel minibars, airports to sightseeing. The perfect antidote to those guides that tell us what to do when we get there, The Art of Travel tries to explain why we really went in the first place - and helpfully suggest how we might be happier on our journeys. 'Delightful, profound, entertaining. I doubt if de Botton has written a dull sentence in his life' Jan Morris 'An elegant and subtle work, unlike any other. Beguiling' Colin Thubron, The Times
The book features insights and lessons shared by various guests from the Diary of a CEO podcast, hosted by Steven Bartlett. It explores themes of entrepreneurship, personal growth, and resilience through candid conversations with influential figures. Readers will find practical advice and inspiring stories that highlight the challenges and triumphs faced in business and life. This collection aims to motivate and empower individuals to pursue their ambitions while navigating the complexities of modern success.
Emotional intelligence affects every aspect of the way we live, from romantic to professional relationships, from our inner resilience to our social success. It is the ultimate soft skill of the twenty-first century. Drawing on his work in the hugely successful School of Life organisation, Alain de Botton presents a compendium of emotional intelligence. Using his trademark mixture of analysis, anecdote, insight and practical wisdom, he considers how we interact with each and with ourselves, and how we can do so better. From the reigning master of popular philosophy, this is an essential look at the skill set that defines our modern lives.
This is a book about everything you were never taught at school. It's about how to understand your emotions, find and sustain love, succeed in your career, fail well and overcome shame and guilt. It's also about letting go of the myth of a perfect life in order to achieve genuine emotional maturity. Written in a hugely accessible, warm and humane style, The School of Life is the ultimate guide to the emotionally fulfilled lives we all long for - and deserve. This book brings together ten years of essential and transformative research on emotional intelligence, with practical topics including: - how to understand yourself - how to master the dilemmas of relationships - how to become more effective at work - how to endure failure - how to grow more serene and resilient.
Modern love is never easy. Society is obsessed with stories of romance, but what comes after happily ever after? This is a love story with a difference. From dating to marriage, from having kids to having affairs, it follows the progress of a single ordinary relationship- tender, messy, hilarious, painful, and entirely un-Romantic. It is a love story for the modern world, chronicling the daily intimacies, the blazing rows, the endless tiny gestures that make up a life shared between two people. Moving and deeply insightful, The Course of Love offers us a window into essential truths about the nature of love.
