Status Anxiety

Acclaim for Alain de Botton’s

STATUS ANXIETY

“A generous and humane book that offers thought-provoking solutions to status anxiety…. De Botton’s answers, buttressed by a wealth of insightful quotes and wonderful artwork, are as compelling as they are crisply laid out. A readable, edifying exploration of our fears about where we stand in society and how we can best mitigate our concerns.”

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San Francisco Chronicle

“Clever and wise. De Botton’s gift is to prompt us to think how we live and, just as importantly, how we might change things.”

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The Times (London)

“Thought-provoking…. De Botton is a man of excellent taste …[choosing] magnificent passages from Adam Smith, William James, Friedrich Engels et al.”

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Los Angeles Times

“Where other media-minded intellectuals offer their readers a diet of know-it-all certitudes garnished with sarcasm and raucous indignation, de Botton is always solicitous, unopinionated and self-deprecating…. This is philosophy in the manner or Montaigne or Thomas Browne …a gentle stoicism reminding us that when things do not pan out as we would like, it may be better to amend our desires than to try changing the world.”

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The Times Literary Supplement

“Illuminating…. As in his other clever and insightful books, de Botton has chosen a single topic and explores its myriad possibilities with clarity and precision…. With clear and often comical prose, he leads us to our own insights into the human condition.”

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The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)

“[De Botton] has such an original point of view, we listen, just to get his new take on whatever subject he brings up.”

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Chicago Tribune

“De Botton analyses modern society with great charm, learning and humor…. And it’s clear that de Botton’s purpose is serious and highly sophisticated. He reaches to the heart of a troubling paradox. Why is it that we who enjoy lives of unparalleled prosperity are still capable of feeling miserable? His remedies come as a welcome relief.”

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Daily Mail

“As de Botton zig-zags through history collecting examples and illustrating points, his reasoning acquires an elegant simplicity…. A lively and wise little book.”

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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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Status Anxiety

confirms [the] impression [that de Botton is] an expert in just about anything…. It isn’t that he’s working with new material. Every fact he cites is part of the known universe. It’s that he cites it with wit and wonder, offering a heaping helping of art, philosophy, science and social gamesmanship.”

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The Charleston Post and Courier

“Perceptive…. Like any good shrink, de Botton first analyses our obsession with status, then diagnoses five ways to deal with it…. His prescription for leading a happier life is a powerful one.”

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New Statesman