How to Be You

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What to expect

Brought to you by Penguin.

'Change your life today. Don't gamble on the future, act now, without delay.'


So said Simone de Beauvoir, one of the world's most influential philosophers, whose pioneering work asks how we can live our most fulfilling lives and be our most vibrant selves. But in the age of so-called authenticity, what does her philosophy offer us today? In this galvanising tour of her defiant strategies for living, we explore how de Beauvoir can teach us to free ourselves of fears and stereotypes and live in a way that is truly authentic to our desires and beliefs.

At home, at work, in love, families and friendship, Skye Cleary shows us how de Beauvoir's philosophy can help us become more attuned to living purposefully, thoughtfully, and with a little more rebellious spirit. An authentic life is the goal but, warning: happiness may be a side effect.

'Skye Cleary blends Simone de Beauvoir's wisdom with her own in this lively guide to becoming a poet of your life' Nigel Warburton

'It isn't easy to be authentic. Skye Cleary's How to Be You is the guide you need if you are serious about figuring out how to live a life truly worth living. And why wouldn't you?' Massimo Pigliucci, author of How to Be a Stoic


© Skye Cleary 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022

Critics Review

  • Balanced with elements of critique, Skye Cleary delivers Simone de Beauvoir’s views on authenticity with matchless clarity. In this elegantly written text, abstract ideas are embodied with compelling stories from either or both Beauvoir’s life or that of the author. This coupling of the ethereal and earthly injects How to Be Authentic with a delightful resonance of authenticity that helps to bring home Beauvoir’s bounty of existential wisdom.

    Gordon Marino, author of The Existentialist's Survival Guide

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