Episode · Modern Wisdom · 2018-10-08
Books mentioned on What Happens When You Dedicate A Year To Optimising Your Life & The Happiness Fantasy - Carl Cederstrom - #033
Carl Cederstrom is an Associate Professor at Stockholm Business School, an author of several books and a writer for The Guardian, The New York Times and Harvard Business Review. Carl dedicated a full year of his life to immersing himself in the Human Optimisation Movement.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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The Happiness Fantasy
The Happiness Fantasy by Carl Cederstrdm is a critical examination of modern wellness culture and the societal pressure to constantly seek happiness and self-improvement.
Recommended“I will make sure that the link to Desperately Seeking Self-Improvement, The Wellness Syndrome, and The Happiness Fantasy”
Where to get it
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The Culture of Narcissism
The Culture of Narcissism by Christopher Lasch is a seminal social critique examining how American society shifted from outward-looking civic engagement to a pervasive, defensive individualism and therapeutic self-absorption.
Discussed“You have Christopher Lash writing in the culture of narcissism.”
Where to get it
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The Triumph of the Therapeutic
Discussed“You have Philip Rieff a little bit earlier than that speaking in the triumph of the therapeutic that really today we have lost faith in these various institutions”
Where to get it
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Waiting for Godot
As a seminal absurdist masterpiece, Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett portrays the existential waiting and cyclical dialogue of two tramps as they pass the time while awaiting a mysterious figure who never arrives.
Discussed“there's this sort of back and forth between Vladimir and Estragon in Samuel Beckett's play, Waiting for Godot.”
Where to get it
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The Promise of Happiness
Discussed“Sara Ahmed wrote this book The Promise of Happiness, and and and she makes a really good point”
Where to get it
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Desperately Seeking Self-Improvement
Desperately Seeking Self-Improvement by Carl Cederström and André Spicer is a critical exploration of the modern obsession with self-optimization, wellness culture, and the relentless pursuit of happiness.
Recommended“I will make sure that the link to Desperately Seeking Self-Improvement, The Wellness Syndrome, and The Happiness Fantasy”
Where to get it
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The Wellness Syndrome
The Wellness Syndrome by Carl Cederström and André Spicer is a critical examination of the modern obsession with health, self-optimization, and corporate wellness culture.
Recommended“I will make sure that the link to Desperately Seeking Self-Improvement, The Wellness Syndrome, and The Happiness Fantasy”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (6) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
“And we wrote a book a number of years ago called The Wellness Syndrome, which was really a critical diagnosis of what we call a wellness society”
“So so the book that you were supposed to interview me about, the the happiness fantasy, it's a book that That That was the book that I had to write in 1 month's time.”
“How to Win Friends and Influence People.”
“How to Win Friends and Influence People.”
“Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.”
“Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.”