How to Be Perfect: The Correct Answer to Every Moral Question by: Michael Schur

Genre: non-fiction, philosophy 

Published: January 25, 2022 by: Simon and Schuster

Pages: 304 

Rating: 4/5 stars 

CW: discussions of violence 

Michael Schur, creator of the comedy series The Good Place, dives deep into moral qualms and dilemmas in this humourous take on philosophy. Schur borrows from his own life experiences and the research he undertook when writing The Good Place to discuss deep-rooted questions on morals and ethics. Along the way, Schur ponders the question: what does it take to be a "good person?" 

If you haven't watched The Good Place, you absolutely need to. It is such a fun, light-hearted comedy that explores questions on morality with sensitivity and grace. I could tell when watching it that it was very well-researched, and Schur's fascination with philosophy is perfectly woven into it. I knew I wanted to read this book because I enjoy Schur's comedy writing, and I definitely think I could benefit from learning more about how complex morals and ethics can be. Overall I thought this book was charming and informative, with just the right amount of education and humour. 

I think it's important to explain my own backstory a bit. I have OCD, which is heavily morality based. Most of my life is spent doing compulsions and ruminating over whether or not I am a bad person. This isn't a sad post, I just need to set up this context when reviewing books that deal with morality. In short: I have a very complicated and confusing relationship with what I think constitutes a "good" person. I'm working on it. But, I think this is one of the reasons why I love The Good Place so much. It helps me to realize that being good or bad isn't black and white. Schur contends with this issue throughout the book, by exploring issues on both micro and macro levels to come to the conclusion that bad things can happen to good people, and good things can happen to bad people. But what's good or bad can often be seen as subjective, depending on ones own personal story. 

I thought Schur did a great job at balancing philosophy education with breaks in the theory where comedy can come in. I was concerned that this book would just be an information dump, and philosophy can often make my brain hurt. However, this book does not read like heavy theory, and I thought that the way Schur presents the theory was quite easy to follow and accessible. He breaks concepts down and explains them in detail-oriented and relatable ways, so that you're able to apply a concept to your own life and you don't feel as far removed from the subject. I appreciated that. 

I also thought that Schur's integration of his own personal anecdotes were quite useful as well. This book isn't a memoir, but it was interesting nonetheless to read about how Schur approaches these topics within his own life as a successful tv writer. I think I could see Schur as a more approachable guy than just a celebrity, and at the very least it was comforting to know that he struggles with these concepts too. Of course, being that I am a fan of his shows, I thought the mentions of his writing experiences were also interesting tidbits into how shows like The Good Place were researched and created. Overall, this was a very informative book! 

Even if you haven't watched any of Schur's comedies, if you appreciate some humour with your philosophy lessons, then this book could be for you. It wasn't necessarily a five star read, but I thought it was just enough to be an enjoyable look at morals and ethics class, which I so desperately need from time to time. It's comforting for me at least to every once in a while remind myself that humans make mistakes, and that being good or bad isn't as simple as who gives the most to charity. I think this book is can be an incredibly useful tool for people who struggle with how their character is perceived, and I hope people find that value from Schur's shows as well. 

Have you read How to Be Perfect? What did you think? 

Emily @ Paperback Princess