The News by Alain de Botton

The News by Alain de Botton – A User’s Manual – is a book well worth reading. It’s not dry at all and the themes covered could be really interesting for anyone. He offers a lot of examples from various newspapers and that makes the topics both easy to follow and enjoyable.

One of the things covered, for example, is why a corruption scandal in Uganda is less interesting than a footballer who cheated on his girlfriend. I think this book is short enough and has a lot of pictures, which is another fascinating point to consider in how news are constructed and presented, that is just a shame to miss it. The part on pictures and pointing back to 2 portraits from the 17th and 18th centuries of the same person in two very different ways, was very nice.

I was familiar with de Botton from a debate he was involved in. I did not agree with his views on that point, but I think his arguing skills are good and, thus, this book is definitely one to read. I got it from the library, so others might stock it as well. Also, despite that the book is about a decade old, the topics are still relevant today. Do read it if you have the chance.

The News by Alain de Botton

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My rating: 5/5 Stars
Would I recommend it: yes
Published by: Hamish Hamilton/Penguin
Year it was published: 2014
Format: Hardcover
Genre(s): Philosophy
Pages: 256

About the author: Alain de Botton is a writer and television producer who lives in London and aims to make philosophy relevant to everyday life. He was born in Zurich, Switzerland.
He is a writer of essayistic books, which refer both to his own experiences and ideas- and those of artists, philosophers and thinkers. It’s a style of writing that has been termed a ‘philosophy of everyday life.’
His first book, Essays in Love, minutely analysed the process of falling in and out of love. The style of the book was unusual, because it mixed elements of a novel together with reflections and analyses normally found in a piece of non-fiction. It’s a book of which many readers are still fondest.
Books by him: Essays In Love (1993); The Romantic Movement (1994); Kiss and Tell (1995); How Proust Can Change Your Life (1997); The Consolations of Philosophy (2000); The Art of Travel (2002); Status Anxiety (2004); The Architecture of Happiness (2006); The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work (2009)
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