Meditations for Mortals Audiobook By Oliver Burkeman cover art

Meditations for Mortals

Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts

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Meditations for Mortals

By: Oliver Burkeman
Narrated by: Oliver Burkeman
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Long-listed, Barnes and Noble Best New Books of the Year, 2024

Long-listed, Library Journal Best Books of the Year, 2024

Long-listed, Audible.com Best of the Year, 2024

"The philosophical tone of his delivery is perfect."—AudioFile on Four Thousand Weeks

This program is read by the author.

A map for a liberating journey toward a more meaningful life—a journey that begins where we actually find ourselves, not with a fantasy of where we’d like to be—from the New York Times bestselling author of Four Thousand Weeks

Addressing the fundamental questions about how to live, Meditations for Mortals offers a powerful new way to take action on what counts: a guiding philosophy of life Oliver Burkeman calls “imperfectionism.” It helps us tackle challenges as they crop up in our daily lives: our finite time, the lure of distraction, the impossibility of doing anything perfectly.

How can we embrace our non-negotiable limitations? Or make good decisions when there’s always too much to do? How do we shed the illusion that life will really begin as soon as we can “get on top of everything”? Reflecting on quotations drawn from philosophy, religion, literature, psychology, and self-help, Burkeman explores a combination of practical tools and daily shifts in perspective. The result is a life-enhancing and surprising challenge to much familiar advice—and a profound yet entertaining crash course in living more fully.

To be listened to either as a four-week “retreat of the mind” or devoured in one or two sittings, Meditations for Mortals will be a source of solace and inspiration, and an aid to a saner, freer, and more enchantment-filled life. In anxiety-inducing times, it is rich in truths we have never needed more.

A Macmillan Audio production from Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

©2024 Oliver Burkeman (P)2024 Macmillan Audio Best of 2024 Personal Development Personal Success Time Management Inspiring Witty Funny Thought-Provoking Meditation

Interview: "Meditations for Mortals" inspires us to stop being perfectionists

Meditations for Mortals
'We're all in the same boat as humans, doing our best within our built-in limitations in a world of infinite inputs and demands and unpredictability.'
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  • Meditations for Mortals
  • 'We're all in the same boat as humans, doing our best within our built-in limitations in a world of infinite inputs and demands and unpredictability.'

Critic reviews

“Meditations for Mortals offers a bracing and refreshing antidote for what ails high achievers. With crackling wit and counterintuitive wisdom, Burkeman shows that it’s okay—and often smarter—to do less, let some goals slide, and embrace our imperfections. This book is both a comfort and a challenge—exactly what our trying times demand.”—Daniel H. Pink, New York Times bestselling author of The Power of Regret

“More than a book of ideas, Meditation for Mortals offers a practical path toward personal transformation—one that helps you sidestep the shallow allure of frenetic busyness and find a liberating joy in the limits and imperfections of life. A must-read.”—Cal Newport, New York Times bestselling author of Slow Productivity and Deep Work

“I follow Oliver Burkeman's personal, literary, and journalistic adventures into wisdom with admiration and exhilaration. Now he brings us a ‘retreat of the mind’ in a very special book. We should all read this, preferably in the company of others—for the sake of our aching world as well as the state of our souls.”—Krista Tippett, host of On Being
Practical Philosophy • Refreshing Perspective • Calm Narration • Relatable Insights • Thought-provoking Ideas
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Relatable, helpful, and short enough chapters to listen to more than once in a given day.

Performance is excellent. I purchased a hard copy as well, but very much prefer the audio.

About to start listening to it again, one chapter per day, like I did the first time around.

If you only listen to the first 3 chapters on repeat, there’s enough wisdom there for a decade.

Okay, stop reading this review and get the book already!!

Bite-size wisdom

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Humor, wisdom, and joy from the incomparable Oliver Burkeman. Grant yourself the happiness in this book.

A liberating experience

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Mindset, as loaded as that term may be to some, is the focus of this book. If you're a fan of his already, this distills a lot of what he says about time and productivity from the perspective of mental choice, changing your perspective toward quality of time spent as the most important thing, again. I liked the language he used in this one, even the resignation to 'what is will be' part of the perspective. But you don't have to take my word for it.

Actually helpful

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I intend to relisten and reference as needed while kayaking. Grateful a close friend recommended it.

Awesome in its simplicity

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I loved its candor, its simple honesty. I'm going to recommend it far and wide and carry its message near to my heart as I venture into a trying season.

One of the most worthwhile "self-help" books out there!

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Easy read. It's okay to inch along and be good enough. It's nice to know that and get that affirmed.

Loved 4000 weeks as well!

Takes the Pressure Off

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A game changer for me. A rarely talked about perspective for perfectionists in a world filled with “productivity hacks”, and chasing our “full potential”. Also such a fun listen!

Fresh perspective!

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Fully enjoyed this book for its wit, good advice and no nonsense stance of who we are as humans on this planet. Motivating to get going on what I want to do to change the world in very small ways.

A lot here to ponder

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The tone, narrator's voice and chapter size are well suited to carving out a bit of time for reflection.

Well worth the gradual listen over the suggested 4 week pace.

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Everything in this book was really applicable, same day. Each section was something to be worked on, on a daily basis. I honestly thought the book was going to be a here n there hit and miss but it really is something to be applied each day. When you finish you’ll want to start over and add that go along with whatever title you may enter into next as a daily part of your reading time until these principles become a lifestyle.

Practiacal

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