How to Be Perfect
| Author | Michael Schur |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Publisher | Simon and Schuster |
Publication date | 1998 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print, e-book |
| Pages | 304 pages |
| ISBN | 1982159316 |
How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question is a 2022 non-fiction book by American television producer and author Michael Schur. The book provides an introduction to many philosophical arguments on the concept of ethics, told largely in layman's terms and in a humorous tone. Schur had done extensive research into the subject for his television show The Good Place, and following its conclusion decided to write the book to summarize and pass along much of what he had learned. The book was well-received by critics, with the New York Times Book Review calling it "a perfect starter course in analyzing why human beings do what we do".[1]
Background
Schur, who had previously worked as an executive producer on the television shows Parks and Recreation and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, got the idea for a show based around moral philosophy when he was once stuck in traffic. He witnessed motorists using the emergency lane to bypass the traffic jam, and conceived a world where such acts deducted "points" from a person's morality score. The idea of an ethical score sheet eventually led to his creation of The Good Place, a show in which a numerical score calculated on one's deeds in life determines which afterlife – the Good Place or Bad Place – one is sent to after death. The show saw success both commercially and critically and aired for four seasons on NBC.[2]
Following the end of the show's run, Schur did not feel finished discussing the topic of ethics, and decided a book would work to continue with the subject in a different media[2] He recruited the assistance of political philosopher Todd May, who had worked as a consultant on The Good Place, and who receives credit on the book's title page for being in charge of "philosophical nitpicking".[3]
References
- ^ Modak, Sebastian (March 13, 2022). "Explains a lot". The New York Times Book Review. p. 9.
- ^ a b Alter, Alexandra (January 24, 2022). "His new good place is writing about morality". The New York Times. p. C1.
- ^ Gubler, Simone (September 9, 2022). "How to Be Perfect: The correct answer to every moral question". Times Literary Supplement. No. 6232. p. 24.