The Antidote is a series of journeys among people who share a single, surprising way of thinking about life. What they have in common is a hunch about human psychology: that itΓÇÖs our constant effort to eliminate the negative that causes us to feel so anxious, insecure, and unhappy. And that there is an alternative ΓÇ£negative pathΓÇ¥ to happiness and success that involves embracing the things we spend our lives trying to avoid. It is a subversive, galvanizing message, which turns out to have a long and distinguished philosophical lineage ranging from ancient Roman Stoic philosophers to Buddhists. Oliver Burkeman talks to life coaches paid to make their clientsΓÇÖ lives a living hell, and to maverick security experts such as Bruce Schneier, who contends that the changes weΓÇÖve made to airport and aircraft security since the 9/11 attacks have actually made us less safe. And then there are the ΓÇ£backwardsΓÇ¥ business gurus, who suggest not having any goals at all and not planning for a companyΓÇÖs future.

 

BurkemanΓÇÖs new book is a witty, fascinating, and counterintuitive read that turns decades of self-help advice on its head and forces us to rethink completely our attitudes toward failure, uncertainty, and death.