Self-Help-books-for-2024

Reading lists

The best self-help books for a positive change in the New Year

Alain de Botton's realistic Valentine's Day card

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Features

Relationship advice from agony uncle Alain de Botton

Alain de Botton’s realistic Valentine’s card

Alain de Botton on how romance novels can make us unlucky in love 

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Alain de Botton on how romance novels can make us unlucky in love

The Penguin Q&A: Alain de Botton

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Podcasts

The Penguin Podcast: Alain de Botton

An Emotional Education

The School of Life

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.

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 
 
Give the gift of inspiration: an essential guide to living wisely and well, no matter what challenges the world throws at you - from Alain de Botton, the bestselling author of The Consolations of Philosophy, The Art of Travel and The Course of Love 
 
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 
 
Praise for Alain de Botton: 
 
'What he has managed to do is remarkable: to help us think better so that we may live better lives' Irish Times 
 
'A serious and optimistic set of practical ideas that could improve and alter the way we live' Jeanette Winterson, The Times 
 
'Alain de Botton likes to take big, complex subjects and write about them with thoughtful and deceptive innocence' Observer

[Alain] de Botton's injunction to understand ourselves could not matter more.

It is an amazing book. Beautifully written . . . a beautiful book that you should have in your home

Alain de Botton is the author of Essays in Love, The Romantic Movement, Kiss and Tell, How Proust Can Change Your Life, The Consolations of Philosophy, The Art of Travel, Status Anxiety, The Architecture of Happiness, The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work, A Week at the Airport, Religion for Atheists, The News: A User's Manual, and The Course of Love among many others. Alain is a bestselling author in 30 countries. He lives in London, where he runs The School of Life and Living Architecture.

An unforgettable story of love and marriage from the author of bestselling novel Essays in Love

The Course of Love

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.

SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER 
 
From one of our great thinkers on modern life and the human condition - an unforgettable story of love and marriage from the author of bestselling novel Essays in Love as well as The Consolations of Philosophy, Religion for Atheists and The School of Life 
 
'The Course of Love probes the very heart of marriage, its shifts and squalls, its great adventure, with such forensic tenderness. I laughed a lot, too' Deborah Moggach 
 
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. 
 
'Engaging, sympathetic, acutely perceptive... There's a refreshing honesty in what de Botton has to say' Guardian 
 
'Anyone who is, has been, or would ever like to be, in a satisfying, successful relationship, would do well to read de Botton' Irish Independent 
 
'He debunks the myth of the happily ever after with a painfully familiar, often hilarious detailing of petty arguments, the occasional extra-marital fling, the moments of loneliness and the declining frequency of sex... It's not only hugely enjoyable but life enhancing too' Daily Mail

Publisher's description. Rabih and Kirsten meet, fall in love, get married. Think this is the end of the story? It's only the beginning. With his trademark warmth and wit, Alain de Botton explores modern relationships with a novel that asks what it truly means to love and to be loved.

He's completely on the money with the minutiae of marital life and every note rings uncomfortably true. The story is told with great wit and affection... de Botton knows his stuff and the book builds into a truly wonderful and positive analysis of a successful lifelong partnership. It should be compulsory reading for anyone contemplating tying the knot.

Engaging, meticulous, acutely perceptive... There's a refreshing honesty in what De Botton has to say

One passage was so spot-on that I read it aloud to my husband... De Botton appreciates, as few writers do, the miracle and subtlety of the so-called ordinary

Well-observed and imbued with a tenderness that feels authentic and uncynical... It may even save some marriages.

Alain de Botton is the bestselling author of fifteen books, including The School of Life: An Emotional Education, How Proust Can Change Your Life, The Consolations of Philosophy, The Art of Travel and The Course of Love. He is the founder of The School of Life (theschooloflife.com).

The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work

Work makes us. Without it we are at a loss; in work we hope to have a measure of control over our lives. Yet for many of us, it is a straitjacket from which we cannot free ourselves. 
 
Criss-crossing the world to visit workplaces both ordinary and extraordinary, and drawing on the wit and wisdom of great artists, writers and thinkers, Alain de Botton explores our love-hate relationship with our jobs, to explain why it is we do what we do all day, and through sympathy, humour and insight, to seek to help us make the most of it.

From 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 - a lucid exploration of the state in which most of us spend most of our lives 
 
'De Botton's wit and powers of ironic observation are on display throughout what is a stylish and original book. The workplace brings out the best in his writing' Sunday Times 
 
'Timely, wonderfully readable. De Botton has pretty much got to the bottom of the subject' Spectator 
 
'Terribly funny, touches us all' Daily Mail 
 
'Brilliant, enormously engaging' Guardian 
 
Why do so many of us love or hate our work? How has it come to dominate our lives? And what should we do about it? 
 
Work makes us. Without it we are at a loss; in work we hope to have a measure of control over our lives. Yet for many of us, work is a straitjacket from which we cannot free ourselves. 
 
Criss-crossing the world to visit workplaces and workers both ordinary and extraordinary, and drawing on the wit and wisdom of great artists, writers and thinkers, Alain de Botton here explores our love-hate relationship with our jobs. He poses and answers little and big questions: from what should I do with my life? to what will I have achieved when I retire? 
 
The Pleasure and Sorrows of Work explains why it is we do what we do all day, and applies sympathy, humour and insight to helping us make the most of it.

De Botton's wit and powers of ironic observation are on display throughout what is a stylish and original book. The workplace brings out the best in his writing

Timely, wonderfully readable. De Botton has pretty much got to the bottom of the subject

A User's Manual

The News

Today, the news occupies the same dominant position in our lives as religion once did. But rarely do we consider how it touches us. Here, Alain de Botton examines a number of archetypal news stories - a plane crash, a murder, a political scandal, a celebrity interview - from a fresh perspective to ask intriguing questions: why do disaster stories titillate? why obsess over love lives of the famous? why smile when a politician falls from grace? In so doing, he brings clear sight and understanding to a force which, above all others, informs our view of reality.

THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER 
 
From 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 - an accessible and eye-opening exploration of our relationship with 'the news' 
 
'His gift is to prompt us to think about how we live and how we might change things' The Times 
 
'De Botton analyses modern society with great charm, learning and humour. His remedies come as a welcome relief' Daily Mail 
 
'Like all classic de Botton, there are plenty of insightful observations here, peppered with some psychology, a dash of philosophy, a big dollop of commonsense' Scotsman 
 
'The news' occupies a range of manic and peculiar positions in our lives. We invest it with an authority and importance which used to be the preserve of religion - but what does it do for us? 
 
Mixing current affairs with philosophical reflections, de Botton offers a brilliant illustrated guide to the precautions we should take before venturing anywhere near the news and the 'noise' it generates. Witty and global in reach, The News will ensure you'll never look at reports of a celebrity story or political scandal in quite the same way again.

One of our most consistently illuminating writers on contemporary culture

De Botton's gift is to prompt us to think about how we live and how we might change things

The Consolations of Philosophy

A much-loved volume of classic Alain de Botton wisdom: a book of philosophy that helps us to live 
 
 Alain de Botton has set six of the finest minds in the history of philosophy to work on the problems of everyday life. Here then are Socrates, Epicurus, Seneca, Montaigne, Schopenhauer and Nietsche on some of the things that bother us all: lack of money, the pain of love, inadequacy, anxiety, the fear of failure and the pressure to conform. 
 
 Alain de Botton's bestselling books include The News, Religion for Atheists, How Proust Can Change Your Life, The Art of Travel, The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work and The Architecture of Happiness. He lives in London and founded The School of Life (www.theschooloflife.com) and Living Architecture (www.living-architecture.co.uk). For more information, consult www.alaindebotton.com.

THE SUNDAY TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER 
 
One of the most influential voices in modern philosophy - the author of The Course of Love, Religion for Atheists, The Art of Travel and The School of Life 
 
Alain de Botton presents a one-stop shop for solving the problems of everyday life through the wisdom of history's great philosophers 
 
'Singlehandedly, de Botton has taken philosophy back to its simplest and most important purpose: helping us live our lives' Independent 
 
'Few discussions on the great philosophers can have been so entertaining... An ingenious, imaginative book' The Sunday Times 
 
'Witty, thoughtful, entertaining... It manages to make philosophy both enjoyable and relevant' Anthony Clare, Literary Review 
 
'No doubt about it, philosophy is the new rock and roll and Alain de Botton is its Colonel Tom Parker... A pleasure to read. And good writing, like good philosophy, is always a consolation' John Banville, Irish Times 
 
Alain de Botton has set six of the finest minds in the history of philosophy to work on the problems of everyday life. Find out what Socrates, Epicurus, Seneca, Montaigne, Schopenhauer and Nietzsche would say about the things that bother us all the most: lack of money, the pain of love, inadequacy, anxiety, the fear of failure and the pressure to conform.

Status Anxiety

We all worry about what others think of us. We all long to succeed and fear failure. We all suffer - to a greater or lesser degree, usually privately and with embarrassment - from status anxiety. 
 
For the first time, Alain de Botton gives a name to this universal condition and sets out to investigate both its origins and possible solutions. He looks at history, philosophy, economics, art and politics - and reveals the many ingenious ways that great minds have overcome their worries. The result is a book that is not only entertaining and thought-provoking - but genuinely wise and helpful as well.

THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER 
 
From 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 - Alain de Botton sets out to understand our universal fear of failure - and how we might change it 
 
'De Botton's gift is to prompt us to think about how we live and how we might change things' The Times 
 
We all worry about what others think of us. We all long to succeed and fear failure. We all suffer - to a greater or lesser degree, usually privately and with embarrassment - from status anxiety. 
 
Alain de Botton gives a name to this universal condition and sets out to investigate both its origins and possible solutions. He looks at history, philosophy, economics, art and politics - and reveals the many ingenious ways that great minds have overcome their worries. The result is a book that is not only entertaining and thought-provoking - but genuinely wise and helpful as well. 
 
'He analyses modern society with great charm, learning and humour. His remedies come as a welcome relief when most books offering solutions to the stresses of life recommend the lotus position' Daily Mail

De Botton analyses modern society with great charm, learning and humour. His remedies come as a welcome relief when most books offering solutions to the stresses of life recommend the lotus position

Measured, amused, compassionate . . . de Botton is a surefooted discoverer of the pungent but less well-known quote

A purveyor of serious but playful manuals for living

Turned me into a fan, for its range, insight, wit and sheer usefulness

Alain de Botton

Lessons from the School of Life

AS HEARD ON THE DIARY OF A CEO PODCAST WITH STEVEN BARTLETT 
 
From the Sunday Times bestselling author of The School of Life 
 
A healthy mind knows how to hope, hanging on tenaciously to the reasons to keep going. 
 
A healthy mind resists unfair comparisons, not allowing others’ successes to throw it off course. 
 
A healthy mind avoids catastrophic imaginings, distinguishing worries of what could happen from what likely will. 
 
Just as there is no such thing as a human being who will never become physically ill, there is no human who will go their whole life without becoming mentally unwell. But recognising ourselves when we’re well can do a lot to help us identify what can go awry. Written with his signature kindness and empathy, this book is Alain de Botton’s practical guide to caring for our mental health – from the acts of self-care in which we find respite to the help which psychotherapy can bring. 
 
Mental illness is as common, and as unshameful, as its bodily counterpart. We should be no more reluctant to seek help than we are if we develop a chest infection or sore knee - and we are no less worthy of love and sympathy in those moments. This book is a reminder of that. 
 
'Alain de Botton is a brave and highly intelligent writer' Observer 
 
'One of our most consistently illuminating writers on contemporary culture' John Gray, New Statesman

A Therapeutic Journey

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The bestselling author of The School of Life joins us live with an unmissable event on mental health.

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Alain de Botton leaning against a bookshelf in a black sweater and white shirt. Photography by Vincent Starr.

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5 Ways To Start Your Therapeutic Journey with Alain De Botton