Status Anxiety

Critics

• Running away with the branding-iron

  Status Anxiety by Alain de Botton 314pp Hamish Hamilton, £16.99 Alain de Botton is the kind of public intellectual our debased culture deserves. This prince of précis, this queen of quotation, pastes together entire books by citing and then restating ... (read full critics)

  guardian.co.uk published on Sat, 25 Sep 2010

• Sorry symptoms trendily diagnosed

  It’s no surprise that one of Alain de Botton’s favoured sources, in a text well-sprigged with neat citations, should be Matthew Arnold: sweetness and enlightenment are their common contributions to a culture in which anarchy is the liveliest art form ... (read full critics)

  spectator published on Fri, 17 Sep 2010

4 Reviews

• 2 people find this helpful

  I like the author's chatty but erudite style. The chapters on Christian and Bohemian solutions to status anxiety are especially enlightening. Sprinkled throughout the book are some really great quotations from philosophers and aphorists. I'm going to read more of his stuff.

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  Leebeck said on Feb 29, 2008 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

• Actually I finished this about 12 years ago. I just remember that some of my interpersonal relationship problems were solved because of the explicit explanations and viewpoints of this author.

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  Faith0805 said on Feb 7, 2012 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

• 

  When you are offered two jobs, one with $50k and your colleagues got $30k, another one with $60k and your colleagues got 80k, which one would you take?

  If inequality is the nature and you cannot alter, there is no dis-satisfaction. However, with the evolution of society and technical advancement in ... (continue)

  When you are offered two jobs, one with $50k and your colleagues got $30k, another one with $60k and your colleagues got 80k, which one would you take?

  If inequality is the nature and you cannot alter, there is no dis-satisfaction. However, with the evolution of society and technical advancement in 18th/19th century, the rigid class hierarchy was disintegrated. People are judged by financial achievement, esp you are compared with the group like you. Being poor means unsuccessful and lack of talents. All these contribute to "Status Anxiety", worry of failure, disrespect, etc.

  This book talks about the origins of the formation of these culture and how Art, Philosophy, Religion, etc help to get back the peace of mind.

  It is not a self help book. The "Causes" part provides food for my self reflection while the "Solutions" is rather dogmatic.

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  Waleswong said on Jul 27, 2011 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

• 

  alain de bottom gives a great overview of how "status" and "respect" have changed much over the ages, and while most crave it, some have escaped this neverending cycle through means such as philosophy, art, and bohemia.

  it is a little hard to follow at times as he jumps around a bit in the na ... (continue)

  alain de bottom gives a great overview of how "status" and "respect" have changed much over the ages, and while most crave it, some have escaped this neverending cycle through means such as philosophy, art, and bohemia.

  it is a little hard to follow at times as he jumps around a bit in the narrative, but quite an enjoyable read.

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  Michaelkchan said on Jan 4, 2009 about the Paperback edition | Add your feedback

Book Details

• Rating:
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• English Books
• Hardcover 314 Pages
• ISBN-10: 0241142385
• ISBN-13: 9780241142387
• Publisher: Hamish Hamilton
• Pub date: Jan 01, 2004
• Dimensions: 1355 mm x 903 mm x 194 mm Just how big is that?
• Also available as: Paperback, Others and eBook
• In other languages: other languages 繁體書, 简体书, Libri Italiani, Türk kitap

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