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

Yesterday I received Oliver Burkeman’s ‘Meditations for Mortals’ in the mail. I read the Introduction, set a reminder for 8:30am every morning for the next 28 days, and sat down this morning with Day 1.

First thoughts: I don’t know where they are going to shelve this in a bookstore. Amazon files it as ‘Business Culture’. I imagine they will put it in Self-Help, or with the Business books.

But it really should be filed in Philosophy. The title is a subtle nod to Marcus Aurelius, and as I read it I am often reminded of the great question, ‘Is Buddhism a religion or a philosophy?’ Because he deftly weaves together Zen wisdom, some Stoicism, poetry, and other sources in a way that connects deeply with his target audience: First World 21st Century people. Which is me. And probably you. It’s okay. Modern people have modern problems. And Oliver Burkeman understands your problems.

He gracefully guides the reader into a different philosophy than we are probably used to hearing from our current culture. And he does it with compassion, and style, and British dry humor.

Day 1, and I can already feel myself unclenching a bit.

Whew. Thank you, sir. Well done. A grateful 5 stars.

Fantastic book. I read a galley copy and after reading the introduction, I pre-ordered the hard copy. I have recommended this book to multiple coworkers. It’s not a fix-it-all book and does not pretend to be. It’s just a simple book of 28 days of reading. It’s something I plan to read each year. There’s nothing magical offered in the book but it provides the reader a chance to face (and accept) that our time is running out. There are no general solutions offered because none actually exist and all we are left with is the choice to embrace each moment and do what best serves us. At least that’s what I got from it.

I have read so many self help books that they all run together. They all share similar threads. Oliver Burkmans 4000 weeks was so incredibly different and refreshing when it came out that I preordered this one and I was not let down. He cuts through the BS and gives you small and extremely real mantras that will help you categorize (or more specifically uncategorize) your life into true self actualization and present living that will help anyone find peace. Cant recommend this enough.

I found this book an incredibly insightful reminder of how we fail to choose what is important to us in life as well as wise and convincingly phrased permissions to seek those things whenever possible. I often spend too much time in my head planning and doing whatever I think I should be doing rather than doing what I truly want to do. While a certain amount of this is necessary, the vast majority of it is not. Life is short, we are never in control, and we must chase joy whenever possible. While this seems obvious, humans have evolved to ignore those things quite a bit of the time, and society imposes norms that don't support them. This is not a prescriptive self-help book, but rather a gentle philosophical guide about how to approach personally realigning daily priorities and enjoying each day to the fullest. I highly recommend this book for anyone who feels they lose their way occasionally, and who doesn't?

the author with his previous book went full steam with the hypothesis that how one should try to optimize ones life and now tales a total 360 degrees turn and suggests a non optimal way., one must read this book with caution and with other scientific evidence that has been produced as one needs to take a position and not just for the sake to sell more books, just write on both opinions and have no position to defend.