Meditations for MortalsMeditations for Mortals
What it's about
Oliver Burkeman, author of Four Thousand Weeks, offers a four-week course of short daily readings on how to live with our limits: accepting that we'll never get everything done, letting go of perfectionism, acting before we feel ready, and finding meaning in the present.
Why it's worth reading
It was a Goodreads Choice finalist. It's wise, practical and freeing.
You'll love it if you liked
The Comfort Book
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
A Grief ObservedGood to know
It's a self-help book of short chapters.
By the numbers
- Readers78 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller19 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
On our reserve shelf: it's well reviewed, but isn't currently a prize winner, a lifetime bestseller or a book everyone's talking about, so we don't rank it. We check again every month, and it can still turn up in your 50 once you've read most of our ranked books.
Why it made the list
Reads as
Practical, Thought-provoking
More by Oliver Burkeman
If you like this, read next
Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty
The Anxious Generation
Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity
Unreasonable Hospitality
The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times
What Happened to You?Explore the best-of lists
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Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 ranked

Science fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedQuick answers
Is Meditations for Mortals worth reading?
It was a Goodreads Choice finalist. Its Must-Read Score is 68.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Meditations for Mortals about?
Oliver Burkeman, author of Four Thousand Weeks, offers a four-week course of short daily readings on how to live with our limits: accepting that we'll never get everything done, letting go of perfectionism, acting before we feel ready, and finding meaning in the present.
How long does it take to read Meditations for Mortals?
About 4 hours (169 pages), or about 8 days at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Meditations for Mortals?
If you liked it, try The Comfort Book by Matt Haig, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey or A Grief Observed by CS Lewis.
