The Sceptic's Guide to Self Help
Oliver\xa0Burkeman\xa0is the anti-self-help author that everyone interested in self-help should read. He encourages us to embrace uncertainty and imperfection in a world obsessed with self-improvement and relentless goal-setting. For over ten years he wrote the popular \u2018This Column Will Change Your Life\u2019 column for The Guardian and his latest book,\xa0Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management For Mortals, was a huge bestseller on both sides of the Atlantic. Sarah Wilson is the founder of the global \u2018I Quit Sugar\u2019 movement, was editor of Cosmopolitan Australia at the age of 29, and has interviewed two Australian prime ministers, Beyonc\xe9, Bren\xe9 Brown, the Dalai Lama and dozens of moral philosophers, effective altruists and existential risk experts during her career. Her most recent book,\xa0This One Wild and Precious Life, won the US Gold Nautilus Prize and describes how she spent three years hiking around the world, following in the footsteps of Nietzsche and Wordsworth and emerging with a blueprint for living a wilder, more connected life. For this episode, Burkeman\xa0and Wilson come together at\xa0Intelligence Squared for an engaging discussion about the limitations of the traditional self-help industry, the importance of mindfulness, and practical strategies for leading a more balanced and purposeful life.\n\nWe\u2019d love to hear your feedback and what you think we should talk about next. Send us an email or voice note with your thoughts to podcasts@intelligencesquared.com or Tweet us @intelligence2.\xa0\n\nAnd while you\u2019re listening, why not visit Intelligencesquared.com and sign up to our newsletter to be the first to hear about some of our great upcoming events and deals.\n\nIf you\u2019d like to support our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations, as well as ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content, early access and much more, become a supporter of Intelligence Squared. Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more.\xa0\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices