The book is a reaction to the self-help industry and what Manson saw as a culture of mindless positivity that isn’t practical or helpful for most people. Manson uses many of his own personal experiences to illustrate how life’s struggles often give it more meaning, which, he argues, is a better approach than constantly trying to be happy.
Manson’s approach and writing style have been categorized by some as contrarian to the general self-help industry, using blunt honesty and profanity to illustrate his ideas.
It first appeared on the New York Times Bestseller List at #6 for the category of How-to and Miscellaneous for the week of October 2, 2016. It also appeared on the Washington Post’s Bestseller List at #9 in the Non-fiction/General category for the week of September 25, 2016, and on the Toronto Star List at #1 in the Self-Improvement category on September 23, 2016. In 2017, it was a featured best seller on Barnes & Noble, the #4 best-selling book on Amazon, and the #9 best-selling book in Canada.
