Life Is Hard

By Kieran Setiya,

Book cover of Life Is Hard: How Philosophy Can Help Us Find Our Way

Book description

“Life Is Hard is a humane consolation for challenging times. Reading it is like speaking with a thoughtful friend who never tells you to cheer up, but, by offering gentle companionship and a change of perspective, makes you feel better anyway.” —The New York Times Book Review

There is no…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Why read it?

1 author picked Life Is Hard as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I was shaken by the power of Setiya’s writing. Academic philosophers are not exactly known for the beauty of their prose, but this book is, indeed, beautiful. And sad. And a bit dark. So basically, it was exactly what I look for in a book.

I was drawn in by Setiya’s early disclosure that he lives with chronic pain and that this would be part of his window into exploring suffering. As someone who also lives with pain (and who has tried to write about it), I found his reflections powerful.

His chapter on grief, too, stayed with me, so…

From Travis' list on philosophy books for everyone.

Want books like Life Is Hard?

Our community of 10,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Life Is Hard.

Browse books like Life Is Hard

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in life satisfaction, hope, and suffering?

10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about life satisfaction, hope, and suffering.

Life Satisfaction Explore 208 books about life satisfaction
Hope Explore 18 books about hope
Suffering Explore 15 books about suffering