Oliver Burkeman Books

The Antidote is the intelligent person’s guide to understanding the much-misunderstood idea of happiness. The author emphasizes that positive thinking isn’t the solution, but part of the problem. He outlines an alternative, “negative” path to happiness and success that involves embracing failure, pessimism, insecurity and uncertainty – what we usually spend our lives trying to avoid.

Four Thousand Weeks (2021) explores concepts of time and time management, arguing that our modern attempts to optimize our time leave us stressed and unhappy. Drawing upon the work of ancient and contemporary philosophers, psychologists, and spiritual leaders, this book proposes a path to cultivating a fulfilling life through embracing our limitations.

This article surveys the ongoing debate and challenges in understanding consciousness. Despite advances in neuroscience and artificial intelligence, scientists and philosophers struggle to define and explain the nature of consciousness, subjective experiences, and self-awareness. The article underscores the difficulty in finding a consensus on this enigmatic subject, leaving the question of consciousness as one of the most profound mysteries in science and philosophy.